“Sometimes, we do not get a chance to thank each one who has helped us in our Journey.” Let the readers get a chance to know about all the important people who have played a part in this Author’s Journey of yours.

I would like to first thank my parents and family for their emotional contributions and mutual sharing. My mother used to narrate stories of Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavatam to us, her children. My father who was a Malayalam teacher read a few Malayalam literary works to us and he always encouraged me to read books. My aunty used to tell us stories from famous storybooks before going to bed. In those days my elder sister had the habit of reciting poems and I learned them by heart. I always had a special affection for language teachers during my high school and college days. It may be a coincidence, but I started reading both English and Malayalam books at that time, though, I was not inclined to writing. Post my academic pursuits, taking up a job, marriage, and then raising a family became the priority. Post-retirement, however, I could spend more time on writing poetry and some of my poems appeared in newspapers and magazines which encouraged me to write further and I am grateful for that. The poems of Changampuzha Krishnapilla, Vallatthol Narayana Menon, Kumaranashan, Vailoppilli Sreedharan Nair, and O.N.V. Kurup have fascinated me a lot. I may be failing in my duty if I don’t mention and thank many literary groups such as Sharing Stories, P4poetry.com, Malayalam Facebook groups, writers, friends, and well-wishers for their contributions and encouragement.

Can you tell a bit about the books you have written and share few lines from any of them?

Initially, I started writing poems and few stories in English and this continued for a long time. Then I switched to writing poems and stories in Malayalam. Two poetry books such as “Mizhiyeerppam” ( Wetness of eyes ) and “Orizha” ( A thread line ) and a storybook ” Kalikkoppukal ” ( Toys ) in Malayalam have been published. Poems and stories In English, Malayalam, and Hindi are included in Anthologies. A book of poetry in English and another one in Malayalam are in the process of publication. My debut poetry book in English is ” Deafening Silence” which consists of several poems in different types such as quatrains, sonnets, limericks, haikus, and so on.

Few lines from “The green meadow “:

“On a fine morning in cold winter,

The crimson-haired man hadn’t started his stroll – in the east.

Hadn’t cast the bright rays of light on the sand;

And the trees and grass were covered with snow,

Looked very dull and dim and still;

Spread a halo of fear and awfulness.”

Next from ” Night Watchman”(about the owl):

“No one dares to tame me;

or likes to keep me as a pet,

because of my fearsome appearance,

with a broad cat face and large round face. “

From the title poem ” Deafening Silence “:

“I have none here, with whom,

I can trust or pass on

My despair and gloom,

Other than you, my husband, to cry on.

What was the inspiration behind writing ‘Deafening Silences’, your poetry book?

It didn’t happen within a day or few months. When some of my English poems appeared in newspapers and magazines I became urged to write more. I came to know about the website for poetry ( P4poetry.com ) and I just logged in there. There are many writers and we started reading others’ poems and writing comments for them. I was contributing one or two poems daily. It provided a platform not only for writing but for learning also. We learned many useful lessons from there and began experimenting. I never imagined that I would or I would be able to publish a book because I didn’t know about the publishing process and any publisher. Meanwhile, I switched to Malayalam writing and published three books. During the lockdown, I was able to compile together some of my English poems. Somya Aswani, a young college student, helped me in publishing the book, and my dream project ” Deafening Silence” came into being. I am very happy and humbled to say that I was received the “Winner award” in 2020- ’21” for “Deafening Silence” by Sharing Stories.

Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?

At present, I am working on another collection of English poems (Volume 2) and hope to get it published soon. The second collection contains different types of poems including seasonal and festival poems. This collection will contain about three hundred and sixty-five small and long poems in total – a poem for every day! I hope readers would read this book with vivid interest and enthusiasm and appreciate it. I earnestly request my readers to buy this book too, to read or recite it, enjoy and give feedback. I would really be happy to receive reviews or feedback on my book ” Deafening Silence”. Readers’ reviews can inspire any author or poet. I need not hesitate to say I too belong to this category.

According to you which are the 5 books, everyone should read and also who are your top 3 Authors?

1) The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi :

Gandhiji had written a beautiful memoir of his way of life on his firm beliefs and the strong pillar of Truth when he was jailed for rigorous imprisonment. His experiments are not just with truth but ahimsa or non -violence. The book demonstrates his incredible humbleness. His writing style is discreet and the contents justify the title. This can be read by children and adults alike.

2) The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru :

The book provides a broad review of Indian history, philosophy, and culture as viewed by him. He wrote the book during his imprisonment. In his book, Nehru says that Indian unity is not something imposed from the outside but rather, it was something deeper and within its fold.

3) The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy :

It’s a novel in which the protagonist, Henchard’s decision to sell his wife and baby daughter haunts him throughout the rest of his life. After many years his wife and daughter come to the city of Casterbridge, where he was the Mayor.

4) William Wordsworth / Poems :

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth :

This is a lyric poem consists of four stanzas with six lines each for a total of twenty-four lines. Each stanza feels independent and self-sufficient called a ” rhyming couplet. ” The poet has used one metaphor in the last stanza as ” They flash upon that inward eye.” Here “inward eye” points out the memory of daffodils. I used to enjoy reciting this poem during my school days. Imageries are there to visualize the poet’s emotions. The theme of the poem is ” Nature’s Beauty” with a mix of happiness and loneliness. His other famous poems are ” The Prelude”, ” The Solitary Reaper ” and ” My Heart Leaps Up”.

5) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:

Pride and Prejudice is a classic in every sense. Written over 200 years back and set in the Regency era, it describes the conventions and life in that period with memorable characters like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

William Wordsworth, Jane  Austin, and M.T. Vasudevan Nair are my three favorite authors. 

Tell us a bit about your family, likes, and dislikes as a person.

My small family comprises of my two sons and their families. My younger son, Benoy, his wife, Neha, and grandson Shaurya stay with me while my eldest son, Bejoy, and his wife, Saroj are mostly abroad.

I have a passion for reading, writing, and literary discussions and spend most of my time doing that. My 2-year-old grandson is a bundle of joy and I get a lot of joy playing with him and observing this wonderful age of innocence and discovery. I occasionally watch movies, listen to music and poem recitations. I also travel and explore as my health allows. I do like to cook on special occasions but I must admit that this is getting rare with my health.

I don’t have any strong dislikes but I tend to stay away from people who spread negativity with their constant criticisms and falsehoods.

Could you share few tips for Young Authors?

It’s difficult for me to give tips or lessons for young authors in writing. In other words, this is not a subject to be taught as per concepts and theories. Authors must be good readers of great and well-known authors’ books whatever may be their choice of genre. Young authors may find more time to concentrate and derive enthusiasm in reading. While going through the contents they, not only ought to read the contents carefully but also be able to visualize the situations, incidents, and so on. Those who aspire for depth in their work must be in a position to undergo the emotions and experiences of their authors’ to a great extent. One would become what one does read and imbibe. The young authors should cultivate different views and ideas through listening to literary meet and can have discussions on the subject whenever time allows. A few tips are given below:

1. Decide to get started – procrastination is the biggest roadblock
2. Begin to write about things you know / love and then do not stop
3. Take time to do research on the subject
4. Editing your work is critical for keeping the flow in your work
5. Send your manuscripts to publication houses for critical reviews 
6. Interact with other writers

How can a writer keep the mental block or writer’s block away from his/her creativity?

The mental block/ writer’s block typically occurs when:

1. you get obsessed with your own thinking
2. you experience an emotional barrier
3. there’s a lack of discipline in the working habits
4. grappling with personal problems in life
5. lack of communication
6. undue anxiety
7. lack of inspiration

Most of the writers have experienced mental block at one point or another in their careers staring at a blank page in their notebooks or on their computers. I have felt it many times as well and creativity dries up abruptly. Some say it’s a psychological inhibition that prevents the writer from writing. Writing involves a challenging mental process with experiments, fear, and uncertainty. We can combat mental blocks to a certain extent by avoiding harsh self-criticism and pressure like self-imposed deadlines. Engaging in physical activity also stimulates the mind. Switching off from work pressure and/or a change of place to dive into free writing may also help to expel writer’s block. Silence is a great refuge to listen to your thoughts and avoid other distractions. Finally, a change of patterns consciously implemented may help to break free and rekindle your creative side.

​At Sharing Stories, we have an ongoing campaign ‘Empowering Our Kids’ where we are trying to encourage and inculcate reading habits from a young age. We are trying to pick up 20 to 30 must-read books for children and try and make them available at our library in Jaipur, also take this initiative across the globe. Please suggest some books which you think every child should read before the age of 15 (mostly the character-defining age).

1. Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama (out of print)
2. Enid Blyton’s stories
3. Harry Potter series
4. Asterix and Tintin series
5. Works of Indian Authors like Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan, Stories by Shri Rabindranath Tagore, The Bird with Golden Wings and The Magic Drum by Sudha Murty, etc.
6. Classics from authors like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, R.L. Stevenson, Alexander Dumas, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll (eg: Oliver Twist, Sense & Sensibility, Treasure Island, Three Musketeers, Happy Prince, Alice in Wonderland, etc.)
7. Science Fiction Classics – works by Issac Asimov and Jules Verne
8. Fairy tales (Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Arabian Nights, etc,)
9. Folk Tales from across India and across the world
10. Historical Classics (eg: Ann Frank’s Diary, War and Peace, Tale of Two Cities, etc.)
11. Detective Novels (Sherlock Holmes by A.C. Doyle, Agatha Christie’s works, Feluda by Satyajit Ray)
12. Indian Epics (Mahabharata and Ramayana)  

 (I have not included the list given earlier may be referred to)

Rapid Fire Round

1. Favorite Place, Person, Food, beverage…. Mumbai (Home); Mother; Different types of rice preparations; Tea 
2. Your Other Talents…. Cooking
3. Your First Love…. Books
4. Favorite Quote….. “The purpose of life is to grow.” ( William Arthur Ward )
5. Favorite Character from a book…. Ramanan ( Malayalam poetry book ) 

What if Round

1. What if you had to live with only three things all your life, what would the three things be?

Love, books, music.

2. What if you were given the power to change one thing from this world, what would you change?

Would try to lessen disparities among the people, as much as possible.

3. What if you had all the money in this world, what would you do first?

Would start schools and colleges in all villages and provide free education to the economically backward children.